Ventilated journal box



Oct. 12, 1954 R. BUCHER VENTILATED JOURNAL BOX Filed Oct. 10, 1952 INVTOR. BY Rtllh lZC/ZGZ ATNEYS Patented Oct. 12, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VENTILATED JOURNAL BOX Ralph Bucher, near Massillon, Ohio Application October 10, 1952, Serial No. 314,128

Claims. (01. 308-76) The invention relates to journal boxes for railway rolling stock, and more particularly to a ventilated journal box provided with means for dissipating heat generated by friction in the bearmg.

It is an object of the invention to provide a journal box for car trucks and the like, provided with means for rapidly carrying away heat produced by friction of the journal rotating in the bearing.

Another object is to provide a journal box of the character referred to having means for continuously applying lubricant to the top of the journal.

A further object is to provide such a journal box with a cover or closure having a filter therein through which hot air generated in the bearin may escape, while dust and dirt are prevented from passing therethrough.

A still further object is to automatically supply an abundance of lubricating oil to the top of the rotating journal to efiectively cool the bearing and reduce heating thereof by minimizing friction and wear.

Another object is to provide such a journal box in which the bearing, or brass as it is commonly called, has a plurality of transverse rows of apertures therethrough communicating with the top of the rotating journal, and the liner located on top of the brass is provided in its underside with transverse grooves registering with said rows of apertures, whereby heat produced by rotation of the journal against the brass may pass upward through said apertures and outward through said grooves.

A further object is to provide for the splashing of lubricating oil from the lower part of the journal box through said grooves and apertures to the top of the rotating journal.

It is also an object of the invention to provide transverse ribs on the underside of the top wall of the journal box for contact with the top of the liner in order to further dissipate heat from the bearing.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a hinged cover or closure for the journal box, in the form of a channel frame in which is detachably mounted a filter having perforated side walls and containing closely intermingled fibers of spun glass or a similar mineral material.

The above objects together with others which will be apparent from the drawing and following description, or which may be later referred to, may be attained by constructing the improved journal box in the manner hereinafter described in detail and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through a journal box embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 a transverse sectional view through the journal box, taken on the line 2-2, Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 a detached front elevation of the closure or cover for the journal box showing the filter therein.

Referring more particularly tothe embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawing, in which similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout, the journal box, indicated generally at Ill, may be of any conventional form and comprises the semicylindrical bottom wall I I merging at each side into the vertical side walls l2 and closed at the top by the fiat top wall I-3.

As in common practice, the bottom wall H is curved upwardly at its outer end, as at I4, and the outer, open end of the journal box is adapted to be normally closed by a cover or closure lid 15, hingedly connected to the outer end of the top wall in usual manner, as indicated at It.

The journal ll extends into the journal box through the opening [8 at the inner side of the box, which opening may be provided with any conventional oil and dust seal I9, having a circular opening 29 for engaging the enlarged cylindrical portion 2| of the journal, as in usual practice.

The bearing or brass 22 engages the top of the journal and the liner or wedge 23 is interposed between the top of the bearing brass and the top wall l3 of the journal box. If desired, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, this top wall of the journal box may be provided with depending, transversely disposed ribs 24 for contact with the top of the liner 23, in order to permit heat to be more rapidly dissipated therefrom.

A'feature of the invention is the provision of a plurality of transversely disposed rows of apertures 25 located entirely through the brass 22, and the provision of transversely disposed grooves 26 formed in the underside of the liner 23 and registering with the several rows of apertures 25 in the brass.

Conventional lugs 21 may be formed upon opposite sides of the brass 22 and received between the vertical ribs 28 formed upon the inner side of the side walls l2 of the journal box. These lugs may move vertically between the ribs 25 as the brass 22 moves up and down in the journal box.

In order to properly center the liner and brass within the journal box, depending lugs 29 may be formed at opposite ends of the ribs 24 on the underside of the top wall of the journal box.

Suitable packing, preferably the customary waste as indicated at 39, is located in the bottom of the journal box and extends upward into engagement with the bottom of the journal I! and with the sides of the journal to a predetermined point, as is customary in the packing of journal boxes.

This packing preferably terminates adjacent to the outer end of the journal, as indicated in Fig. 1, leaving an open space 3| to serve as a well for excess lubricant, the level of which is indicated at 32. This lubricant is soaked up by the waste, and by capillary attraction it is drawn up into the upper portion of the waste and deposited upon the rotating journal I1 keeping the lower portion thereof lubricated.

However, due to the tremendous weight of the car which is transmitted through the top wall of the journal box, the liner and the brass bearing to the top'of the journal, and the expansion of the brass due to friction of the rotating journal, an excessive pressure is produced per unit area of bearing surface, which substantially prevents any material amount of lubricant being carried around the top of the journal, between the same and the brass. This results in the generation of extreme heat by the friction of the journal rotating in contact with the brass.

With the present construction as above described, this heat may be rapidly carried away through the apertures 25 in the brass and the grooves 26 in the liner. This construction also permits lubricating oil, which is splashed up from the bottom of the journal box by the rotating bearing, to be thrown into the grooves 26 of the liner and to pass down through the apertures 25 of the brass to the top of the rotating journal IT.

The bearing is thus effectively lubricated so as to materially reduce the heat, and any heat generated by friction of the rotating journal is rapidly dissipated through the apertures in the brass and the grooves in the liner.

In order to permit heat to escape from the journal box and allow cooler outside air to enter the same, the cover or closure lid may be in the form of a rectangular frame 33, the bottom and sides of which are of channel cross section, while the upper end is open as indicated at 34.

A removable filter, indicated generally at 35, is adapted to be inserted into this open frame. This filter may be of the same form as is commonly used in gas and oil furnaces provided with a blower fan, and comprises a channel frame portion 36 and perforated side walls 31 enclosing closely intermingled fibers of spun glass or other suitable mineral material 38. This permits passage of air through the filter, while at the same time preventing dust or dirt from the outside from entering the journal box.

With this construction it will be apparent that the rotating journal and bearing brass may be maintained at a considerably lower temperature than under present practice, providing not only for rapidly carrying away the heat generated in the bearing, but also providing for better lubrication between the top of the journal and the brass, as well as providing means for the escape of hot air from the interior of the journal box.

In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness and understanding, but no unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirements of the prior art, because such words are used for descriptive purposes herein and are intended to be broadly construed.

Moreover, the embodiments of the improved construction illustrated and described herein are by way of example, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the exact details of construction.

Having now described the invention or discovery, the construction, the operation, and use of preferred embodiments thereof, and the advantageous new and useful results obtained thereby; the new and useful constructions, and reasonable mechanical equivalents thereof obvious to those skilled in the art, are set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

I. In a railroad truck journal box having a lubricant reservoir in its lower portion, a rotating journal within the box, a bearing brass contacting the upper side of the journal, there being transverse rows of upright apertures located entirely through the bearing brass, and a liner interposed between the bearing brass and the top wall of the journal box, there being transverse grooves in the underside of the liner communicating with said transverse rows of apertures, said grooves being open at opposite ends, so as to dissipate heat from the journal through said apertures and grooves and so that lubricant splashed up from the reservoir by the rotating journal will be received in said grooves and will pass through the apertures to the journal.

2. In a railroad truck journal box having a lubricant reservoir in its lower portion, a rotating journal within the box, a bearing brass contacting the upper side of the journal, there being transverse rows of upright apertures located entirely through the bearing brass, and a liner interposed between the bearing brass and the top wall of the journal box, there being transverse grooves in the underside of the liner communicating with said transverse rows of apertures, said grooves being enlarged and open at opposite ends, so as to dissipate heat from the journal through said apertures and grooves and so that lubricant splashed up from the reservoir by the rotating journal will be received in said grooves and will pass through the apertures to the journal.

3. In a railroad truck journal box having a lubricant reservoir in its lower portion, a rotating journal within the box, a bearing brass contacting the upper side of the journal, there being transverse rows of upright apertures located entirely through the bearing brass, and a liner interposed between the bearing brass and the top wall of the journal box, depending spaced transverse ribs upon said top wall contacting said liner for dissipating heat from the liner, there being grooves in the underside of the liner communicating with said rows of apertures, said grooves being open at opposite ends, so as to dissipate heat from the journal through said apertures and grooves and so that lubricant splashed up from the reservoir by the rotating journal will be received in said grooves and will pass through the apertures to the journal.

4. In a railroad truck journal box having a lubricant reservoir in its lower portion, a rotating journal within the box, a bearing brass contacting the upper side of the journal, there being transverse rows of upright apertures located entirely through the bearing brass, and a liner interposed between the bearing brass and the top wall of 5 the journal box, there being transverse grooves in the underside of the liner communicating with said rows of apertures, said grooves being open at opposite ends so as to dissipate heat from the journal through said apertures and grooves and so that lubricant splashed up from the reservoir by the rotating journal will be received in said grooves and will pass through the apertures to the journal, the outer end of the journal box being open, and a filter covering the open end of the box for dissipating heat from the box.

5. In a railroad truck journal box having a lubricant reservoir in its lower portion, a rotating journal within the box, a bearing brass contacting the upper side of the journal, there being transverse rows of upright apertures located entirely through the bearing brass, and a liner interposed between the bearing brass and the top wall of the journal box spaced depending transverse ribs upon said top wall contacting said liner for dissipating heat from the liner, there being transverse grooves in the underside of the liner communicating with said apertures, said grooves being open at opposite ends so as to dissipate heat from the journal through said apertures and grooves and so that lubricant splashed up from the reservoir by the rotating journal will be received in said grooves and will pass through the apertures to the journal, the outer end of the journal box being open, a frame mounted at said open outer end of the box, and a filter mounted in said frame for dissipating heat from the box.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 809,635 Schrader Jan. 9, 190 1,108,064 Bonom Aug. 1914 20 1,837,578 Ortner Dec. 22, 1931 

